Welcome!
Randy will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2013
Randy finally made it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!
“I really thought maybe I’d have to die first,” he tells Rolling Stone. “I didn’t think it would happen if it didn’t happen, you know, a little earlier. But this is great. I’m really glad it happened when I was still around to see it.”
Rolling Stone has more information here.
Another take on the induction comes from San Antonio.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held on April 18th, 2013 at the Nokia Theater and broadcast on HBO May 18th. Tickets will go on sale to the public on January 25th.
For ticket information, please visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s site.
Congratulations Randy!
“I’m Dreaming” – a new song by Randy: Free download
New Randy Newman Song “I’m Dreaming” Available for Free Download
“It’s difficult to imagine any other musician so nimbly addressing contemporary America without hiding behind the abstraction that plagues so many songwriters. Forty years after his debut LP, Newman remains in a class of his own. Now as before, no one can touch him.” —Time Out NY
Randy Newman’s new song, “I’m Dreaming” is also available as a free download (see below).
With lyrics from the viewpoint of a voter who casts his ballot solely based on skin color, the song draws attention to something Newman has noticed and written about for 40 years: racism in America. (The complete lyrics are below.) While the song, which Newman performs solo at the piano, is free, anyone wishing to contribute is encouraged to donate to the United Negro College Fund at www.uncf.org.
Newman explains, “No other Western industrialized nation would’ve elected a black president. I’m proud of this country for having elected Obama in 2008. But from the beginning of his term, I noticed a particular heat to conversations that wouldn’t ordinarily generate that kind of passion: The budget, appointments, health care.” He continues, “I think there are a lot of people who find it jarring to have a black man in the White House and they want him out. They just can’t believe that there’s not a more qualified white man. You won’t get anyone, and I do mean anyone, to admit it.
“I often write songs in character. You can’t always trust or believe the narrators in my songs. So why listen? Good question.
“Anyway the guy in this song may exist somewhere. Let’s hope not. Vote in November.”
After starting his songwriting career as a teenager, Newman launched into recording as a singer and pianist in 1968 with his self-title album Randy Newman. His reputation as a songwriter grew quickly, as Judy Collins, Dusty Springfield, Peggy Lee, Harry Nilsson, and Joe Cocker, among others, recorded his work. Throughout the 1970s he released several other acclaimed albums such as 12 Songs, Sail Away, and Good Old Boys. His most recent albums include two volumes of The Randy Newman Songbook, 2008′s Harps and Angels, and a live CD/DVD set from London, released last year. In addition to his solo recordings and regular international touring, Newman began composing and scoring for films in the 1980s.
Download link
“I’m Dreaming”
Lyrics
George Washington was a white man
Adams and Jefferson too
Abe Lincoln was a white man, probably
And William McKinley the whitest of them all
Was shot down by an immigrant in Buffalo
And a star fell out of heaven
Adams and Jefferson too
Abe Lincoln was a white man, probably
And William McKinley the whitest of them all
Was shot down by an immigrant in Buffalo
And a star fell out of heaven
I’m dreaming of a white President
Just like the ones we’ve always had
A real live white man
Who knows the score
How to handle money or start a war
Wouldn’t even have to tell me what we were fighting for
He’d be the right man
If he were a
I’m dreaming of a white President
Someone whom we can understand
Someone who knows where we’re coming from
And that the law of the jungle is not the law of this land
In deepest darkest Africa nineteen three
A little boy says, “Daddy, I just discovered relativity.
A big eclipse is coming
And I’ll prove it. Wait and see!”
“You better eclipse yourself outta here, son
And find yourself a tree
There’s a lion in the front yard
And he knows he won’t catch me.”
How many little Albert Einsteins
Cut down in their prime?
How many little Ronald Reagans
Gobbled up before their time?
I don’t believe in evolution
But it does occur to me,
What if little William Howard Taft had to face a lion
Or God forbid, climb a tree?
Where would this country be?
I’m dreaming of a white President
Buh buh buh buh
‘Cause things have never been this bad
So he won’t run the hundred in ten seconds flat
So he won’t have a pretty jump shot
Or be an Olympic acrobat
So he won’t know much about global warming
Is that really where you’re at?
He won’t be the brightest, perhaps
But he’ll be the whitest
And I’ll vote for that
Whiter than this?
Yes
Whiter than this?
Yes
Whiter than this?
Yes
Whiter than this?
Oh yeah
Live in London
Nonesuch (524520), November 8, 2011
Great Nations of Europe
Lyrics
The Great Nations of Europe
Had gathered on the shore
They’d conquered what was behind them
And now they wanted more
So they looked to the mighty ocean
And took to the western sea
The great nations of Europe in the sixteenth century
Hide your wives and daughters
Hide the groceries too
Great nations of Europe coming through
The Grand Canary Islands
First land to which they came
They slaughtered all the canaries
Which gave the land its name
There were natives there called Guanches
Guanches by the score
Bullets, disease, the Portugese, and they weren’t there anymore
Now they’re gone, they’re gone, they’re really gone
You’ve never seen anyone so gone
They’re a picture in a museum
Some lines written in a book
But you won’t find a live one no matter where you look
Hide your wives and daughters
Hide the groceries too
Great nations of Europe coming through
Columbus sailed for India
Found Salvador instead
He shook hands with some Indians and soon they all were dead
They got TB and typhoid and athlete’s foot
Diptheria and the flu
Excuse me – Great nations coming through
Balboa found the pacific
And on the trail one day
He met some friendly Indians
Whom he was told were gay
So he had them torn apart by dogs on religious grounds they say
The great nations of Europe were quite holy in their way
Now they’re gone, they’re gone, they’re really gone
You’ve never seen anyone so gone
Some bones hidden in a canyon
Some paintings in a cave
There’s no use trying to save them
There’s nothing left to save
Hide your wives and daughters
Hide your sons as well
With the great nations of Europe you never can tell
From where you and I are standing
At the end of a century
Europes have sprung up everyone as even I can see
But there on the horizon as a possiblity
Some bug from out of Africa might come for you and me
Destroying everything in its path
From sea to shining sea
Like the great nations of Europe
In the sixteenth century
Marie
Lyrics
You looked like a princess the night we met
With your hair piled up high
I will never forget
I’m drunk right now baby
But I’ve got to be
Or I never could tell you
What you meant to me
I loved you the first time I saw you
And I always will love you Marie
I loved you the first time I saw you
And I always will love you Marie
You’re the song that the trees sing when the wind blows
You’re a flower, you’re a river, you’re a rainbow
Sometimes I’m crazy
But I guess you know
And I’m weak and I’m lazy
And I’ve hurt you so
And I don’t listen to a word you say
When you’re in trouble I just turn away
But I love you and I loved you the first time I saw you
And I always will love you Marie
I loved you the first time I saw you
And I always will love you Marie
It’s Money That I Love
Lyrics
I don’t love the mountains
And I don’t love the sea
And I don’t love Jesus
He never done a thing for me
I ain’t pretty like my sister
Or smart like my dad
Or good like my mama
It’s Money That I Love
It’s Money That I Love
They say that money
Can’t buy love in this world
But it’ll get you a half-pound of cocaine
And a sixteen-year old girl
And a great big long limousine
On a hot September night
Now that may not be love
But it is all right
One, two
It’s Money That I Love
Wanna kiss you
Three, four
It’s Money That I Love
Used to worry about the poor
But I don’t worry anymore
Used to worry about the black man
Now I don’t worry about the black man
Used to worry about the starving children of India
You know what I say now about the starving children of India?
I say, “Oh mama”
It’s Money That I Love
It’s Money That I Love
It’s Money That I Love
Mama Told Me Not to Come
Lyrics
Will you have whiskey with your water
Or sugar with your tea?
What are these crazy questions
That they’re asking of me?
This is the wildest party that there ever could be
Oh, don’t turn on the light ’cause I don’t want to see
Mama told me not to come
Mama told me not to come
Mama said, “That ain’t no way to have fun”
Open up the window, let some air into this room
I think I’m almost choking on the smell of stale perfume
And that cigarette you’re smoking ’bout to scare me half to death
Open up the window, let me catch my breath
The radio is blasting, someone’s beating on the door
Our hostess is not lasting – she’s out on the floor
I seen so many things here I ain’t never seen before
I don’t know what it is – but I don’t wanna see no more
Mama told me not to come
Mama told me not to come
Mama said, “That ain’t no way to have fun”
Rollin’
Lyrics
I never drink in the afternoon
I never drink alone
But I sure do like a drink or two
When I get home
Every evening what I do
I sit here in this chair
I pour myself some whiskey
And watch my troubles vanish into the air
Rollin’, rollin’
Ain’t gonna worry no more
Rollin’, rollin’
Ain’t gonna worry no more
Used to worry about gamblin’
Throwin’ my money away
Used to worry about wastin’ time
And layin’ round the house all day
But I’m all right now
I’m all right now
I never thought I’d make it
But I always do somehow
I’m all right now
Rollin, rollin’
Ain’t gonna worry no more
Rollin, rollin
Ain’t gonna worry no more
Losing You
Lyrics
Was a fool with my money
And I lost every dime
And the sun stopped shining
And it rained all the time
It did set me back some
But I made it through
But I’ll never get over losing you
Do you know how much you mean to me?
Should’ve told you ’cause it’s true
I’d get over losing anything
But I’ll never get over losing you
When you’re young
And there’s time
You forget the past
You don’t think that you will
But you do
But I know right now I don’t have time enough
And I’ll never get over losing you
I’ve been cold
I’ve been hungry
But not for awhile
I guess most of my dreams have come true
With it all here around me
No peace do I find
‘Cause I’ll never get over losing you
No, I’ll never get over losing you
Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear
Lyrics
I may go out tomorrow if I can borrow a coat to wear
Oh, I’d step out in style with my sincere smile and my dancing bear
Outrageous, alarming, courageous, charming
Oh, who would think a boy and bear
Could be well accepted everywhere
It’s just amazing how fair people can be
Seen at the nicest places where well-fed faces all stop to stare
Making the grandest entrance is Simon Smith and his dancing bear
They’ll love us, won’t they?
They feed us, don’t they?
Oh, who would think a boy and bear
Could be well accepted everywhere
It’s just amazing how fair people can be
Who needs money when you’re funny?
The big attraction everywhere
Will be Simon Smith and his dancing bear
It’s Simon Smith and the amazing dancing bear
Short People
Lyrics
Short People got no reason
Short People got no reason
Short People got no reason
To live
They got little hands
Little eyes
They walk around
Tellin’ great big lies
They got little noses
And tiny little teeth
They wear platform shoes
On their nasty little feet
Well, I don’t want no Short People
Don’t want no Short People
Don’t want no Short People
`Round here
Short People are just the same
As you and I
(A Fool Such As I)
All men are brothers
Until the day they die
(It’s A Wonderful World)
Short People got nobody
Short People got nobody
Short People got nobody
To love
They got little baby legs
That stand so low
You got to pick ‘em up
Just to say hello
They got little cars
That go beep, beep, beep
They got little voices
Goin’ peep, peep, peep
They got grubby little fingers
And dirty little minds
They’re gonna get you every time
Well, I don’t want no Short People
Don’t want no Short People
Don’t want no Short People
‘Round here
God’s Song (That’s Why I Love Mankind)
Lyrics
Cain slew Abel, Seth knew not why
For if the children of Israel were to multiply
Why must any of the children die?
So he asked the Lord
And the Lord said:
Man means nothing, he means less to me
Than the lowliest cactus flower
Or the humblest Yucca tree
He chases round this desert
‘Cause he thinks that’s where I’ll be
That’s why I love mankind
I recoil in horror from the foulness of thee
From the squalor and the filth and the misery
How we laugh up here in heaven at the prayers you offer me
That’s why I love mankind
The Christians and the Jews were having a jamboree
The Buddhists and the Hindus joined on satellite TV
They picked their four greatest priests
And they began to speak
They said, “Lord, a plague is on the world
Lord, no man is free
The temples that we built to you
Have tumbled into the sea
Lord, if you won’t take care of us
Won’t you please, please let us be?”
And the Lord said
And the Lord said
I burn down your cities-how blind you must be
I take from you your children and you say how blessed are we
You all must be crazy to put your faith in me
That’s why I love mankind
You really need me
That’s why I love mankind
The World Isn’t Fair
Lyrics
When Karl Marx was a boy
He took a hard look around
He saw people were starving all over the place
While others were painting the town (buh, buh, buh)
The public spirited boy
Became a public spirited man
So he worked very hard and he read everything
Until he came up with a plan
There’ll be no exploitation
Of the worker or his kin
No discrimination ’cause the color of your skin
No more private property
It would not be allowed
No one could rise too high
No one could sink too low
Or go under completely like some we all know
If Marx were living today
He’d be rolling around in his grave
And if I had him here in my mansion on the hill
I’d tell him a story t’would give his old heart a chill
It’s something that happened to me
I’d say, Karl I recently stumbled
Into a new family
With two little children in school
Where all little children should be
I went to the orientation
All the young mommies were there
Karl, you never have seen such a glorious sight
As these beautiful women arrayed for the night
Just like countesses, empresses, movie stars and queens
And they’d come there with men much like me
Froggish men, unpleasant to see
Were you to kiss one, Karl
Nary a prince would there be
Oh Karl the world isn’t fair
It isn’t and never will be
They tried out your plan
It brought misery instead
If you’d seen how they worked it
You’d be glad you were dead
Just like I’m glad I’m living in the land of the free
Where the rich just get richer
And the poor you don’t ever have to see
It would depress us, Karl
Because we care
That the world still isn’t fair
Louisiana 1927
Lyrics
What has happened down here is the winds have changed
Clouds roll in from the north and it started to rain
Rained real hard and it rained for a real long time
Six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline
The river rose all day
The river rose all night
Some people got lost in the flood
Some people got away alright
The river have busted through clear down to Plaquemines
Six feet of water in the streets of Evangelne
Louisiana, Louisiana
They’re tyrin’ to wash us away
They’re tryin’ to wash us away
Louisiana, Louisiana
They’re tryin’ to wash us away
They’re tryin’ to wash us away
President Coolidge came down in a railroad train
With a little fat man with a note-pad in his hand
The President say, “Little fat man isn’t it a shame what the river has done
To this poor crackers land.”
Louisiana, Louisiana
They’re tryin’ to wash us away
They’re tryin’ to wash us away
Louisiana, Louisiana
They’re tryin’ to wash us away
They’re tryin’ to wash us away
They’re tryin’ to wash us away
They’re tryin’ to wash us away
You Can Leave Your Hat On
Lyrics
Baby, take off your coat…(real slow)
Baby, take off your shoes…(here, I’ll take your shoes)
Baby, take off your dress
Yes, yes, yes
You can leave your hat on
You can leave your hat on
You can leave your hat on
Go on over there and turn on the light…no, all the lights
Now come back here and stand on this chair…that’s right
Raise your arms up in to the air…shake ‘em
You give me a reason to live
You give me a reason to live
You give me a reason to live
You give me a reason to live
Suspicious minds are talking
Trying to tear us apart
They say that my love is wrong
They don’t know what love is
They don’t know what love is
They don’t know what love is
They don’t know what love is
I know what love is
II’m Dead (But I Don’t Know It)
Lyrics
I have nothing left to say
But I’m gonna say it anyway
Thirty years upon a stage
And I hear the people say
Why won’t he go away?
I pass the houses of the dead
They’re calling me to join their group
But I stagger on instead
Dear God, sweet God
Protect me from the truth, hey
I’m dead but I don’t know it
He’s dead, he’s dead
I’m dead but I don’t know
He’s dead, he’s dead
I’m dead but I don’t know it
He’s dead, he’s dead
Please don’t tell me so
Let me, let me, let me go
I have a family to support
But surely, that is no excuse
I’ve nothing further to report
Time you spend with me
Is time you lose
I always thought that I would know
When it was time to quit
That when I lost a step or two or three or four or five
I’d notice it
Now that I’ve arrived here safely
I find my talent has gone
Why do I go on and on and on and on and on
And on and on and on and on and on …
He’s dead, he’s dead, he’s dead
I don’t know it
He’s dead, he’s dead, he’s dead
I didn’t know
He’s dead, he’s dead, he’s dead
I didn’t know it
When will I end this bitter game?
When will I end this cruel charade?
Everything I write all sounds the same
Each record that I’m making
Is like a record that I’ve made
Just not as good
I’m dead but I don’t know it
He’s dead, he’s dead
I’m dead but I don”t know
He’s dead, he’s dead
I’m dead but I don’t know it
He’s dead, he’s dead
Please don’t tell me so
Please don’t tell me so
You’re dead!
Real Emotional Girl
Lyrics
She’s a real emotional girl
She wears her heart on her sleeve
Every little thing you tell her
She’ll believe
She really will
She even cries in her sleep
I’ve heard her
Many times before
I never had a girl who loved me
Half as much as this girl loves me
She’s real emotional
For eighteen years she lived at home
She was Daddy’s little girl
And Daddy helped her move out on her own
She met a boy
He broke her heart
And now she lives alone
And she’s very, very careful
Yes she is
She’s a real emotional girl
Lives down deep inside her herself
She turns on easy
It’s like a hurricane
You would not believe it
You gotta hold on tight to her
She’s a real emotional girl
I Miss You
Lyrics
Still in my heart
After all these years
Separated by time
And now by distance
I couldn’t allow myself to feel
The loss that I feel right now
As I put this song down
You’re far away
And happy I know
And it’s a little bit late
Twenty years or so
And it’s a little bit cold
For all those concerned
But I’d sell my soul and your souls for a song
So I’ll pour my heart out
I miss you
I miss you
I miss you
I’m sorry but I do
I miss you
I miss you
I miss you
I’m sorry but it’s true
I want to thank you for the good years
And apologize for the rough ones
You must be laughing yourself sick
Up there in Idaho
But I wanted to write you one
Before I quit
And this one’s it
I miss you
I miss you
And I wanted you to know
I miss you
I miss you
I miss you
And I still love you so
Laugh and Be Happy
Lyrics
I know what’s going on here
Ain’t no great mystery
Y’all have lost faith in yourselves
It’s as clear as it can be
You can whine all you want to
Drown in your misery
Or you can listen to me
Listen to me
Laugh and be happy
Don’t you ever wear a frown
Don’t let the bastards grind you down
Laugh and be happy
It’s a simple thing to do
Believe in your dreams
And your dreams will come true for you
There’ll be a red sun shining in a sky so blue
Blackbirds singing in the trees
There’ll be a real silver lining
Up there for me and you
Listen to me
Listen to me
Now the country that we’re living in
You mean the good ol’ USA?
That’s right!
It’s never been about keeping you out
It’s about inviting you in and letting you play
So laugh and be happy
Smile right in their face
‘Cause pretty soon
You’re gonna take their place
You’ll come a-whack whack whackin’ like old man trouble
Whacking on their front door
They want to send you packin’ on the double
But you ain’t going away no more
Laugh and be happy
Don’t you ever wear a frown
Get right back on your feet
Whenever they knock you down
You’ve got to laugh and be happy
Believe me when I say
Everything’s going to go your way
You’ll be on top of the world
Political Science
Lyrics
No one likes us-I don’t know why
We may not be perfect, but heaven knows we try
But all around, even our old friends put us down
Let’s drop the big one and see what happens
We give them money-but are they grateful?
No, they’re spiteful and they’re hateful
They don’t respect us-so let’s surprise them
We’ll drop the big one and pulverize them
Asia’s crowded and Europe’s too old
Africa is far too hot
And Canada’s too cold
And South America stole our name
Let’s drop the big one
There’ll be no one left to blame us
We’ll save Australia
Don’t wanna hurt no kangaroo
We’ll build an All American amusement park there
They got surfin’, too
Boom goes London and boom Paree
More room for you and more room for me
And every city the whole world round
Will just be another American town
Oh, how peaceful it will be
We’ll set everybody free
You’ll wear a Japanese kimono
And there’ll be Italian shoes for me
They all hate us anyhow
So let’s drop the big one now
Let’s drop the big one now
Love Story
Lyrics
I like your mother
I like your brother
I like you
And you like me too
We’ll get a preacher
I’ll buy a ring
We’ll hire a band
With an accordion
A violin
And a tenor who can sing
You and me you and me, baby
You and me you and me you and me, baby
You and me you and me you and me, baby
You and me you and me you and me, baby
We’ll have a kid
Or maybe we’ll rent one
He’s got to be straight
We don’t want a bent one
He’ll drink his baby brew
From a big brass cup
Someday he may be president
If things loosen up
You and me you and me, baby
You and me you and me you and me, baby
You and me you and me you and me, baby
You and me you and me you and me, baby
I’ll take the train into the city ev’ry mornin’
You may be plain – I think you’re pretty – in the mornin’
And some nights we’ll go out dancin’
If I am not too tired
Some nights we’ll sit romancin’
Watching the Late Show by the fire
When our kids are grown
With kids of their own
They’ll send us away
To a little home in Florida
We’ll play checkers all day
Until we pass away
Feels Like Home
Lyrics
Something in your eyes
Makes me want to lose myself
Makes me want to lose myself
In your arms
There’s something in your voice
Makes my heart beat fast
Hope this feeling lasts
The rest of my lifeIf you knew how lonely my life has been
And how low I’ve felt for so long
If you knew how I wanted someone
To come along
And change my life the way you’ve done
Feels like home to me
Feels like home to me
Feels like I’m all the way back where I come from
Feels like home to me
Feels like home to me
Feels like I’m all the way back where I belong
A window breaks
Down a long dark street
And a siren wails in the night
But I’m alright ’cause I have you here with me
And I can almost see
Through the dark there’s a light
If you knew how much this moment
Means to me
And how long I’ve waited for your touch
If you knew how happy you are making me
I never thought I’d love anyone so much
Feels like home to me
Feels like home to me
Feels like I’m all the way back
Where I come from
Feels like home to me
Feels like home to me
Feels like I’m all the way back where I belong
Feels like I’m all the way back where I belong
A Few Words In Defense of Our Country
Lyrics
I’d like to say a few words
In defense of our country
Whose people aren’t bad
Nor are they mean
Now the leaders we have
While they’re the worst that we’ve had
Are hardly the worst
This poor world has seen
Take the Caesars for example
Within the first few of them
They were sleeping with their sister,
Stashing little boys in swimming pools
And burning down the city
And one of ‘em, one of ‘em
Appointed his own horse to be Consul of the Empire
That’s like vice president or something
Wait a minute, that’s not a very good example is it?
But wait, here’s one,
The Spanish Inquisition
It put people in a terrible position
I don’t even like to think about it
Well sometimes I like to think about it
Just a few words in defense of our country
Whose time at the top
Could be coming to an end
We don’t want your love
And respect at this point is pretty much out of the question
But times like these
We sure could use a friend
Hitler
Stalin
Men who need no introduction
King Leopold of Belgium, that’s right
Everyone thinks he’s so great
Well he owned The Congo and he tore it up too
He took the diamonds
He took the silver
He took the gold
You know what he left them with?
Malaria
A President once said,
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”
Now, we’re supposed to be afraid
It’s patriotic in fact and color-coded
And what are we supposed to be afraid of?
Why of being afraid
That’s what terror means, doesn’t it?
That’s what it used to mean
You know it kind of pisses me off
That this Supreme Court is going to outlive me
A couple of young Italian fellas and a brother on the Court now, too
But I defy you, anywhere in the world,
To find me two Italians as tightassed as the two Italians we got
And as for the brother, well
Pluto’s not a planet anymore either
The end of an Empire is messy at best
And this Empire is ending
Like all the rest
Like the Spanish Armada adrift on the sea
We’re adrift in the land of the brave and the home of the free
Goodbye
Goodbye
Goodbye
Sail Away
Lyrics
In America you’ll get food to eat
Won’t have to run through the jungle
And scuff up your feet
You’ll just sing about Jesus and drink wine all day
It’s great to be an American
Ain’t no lions or tigers
Ain’t no mamba snake
Just the sweet watermelon and the buckwheat cake
Ev’rybody is as happy as a man can be
Climb aboard, little wog
Sail away with me
Sail away
Sail away
We will cross the mighty ocean into Charleston Bay
Sail away
Sail away
We will cross the mighty ocean into Charleston Bay
In America every man is free
To take care of his home and his family
You’ll be as happy as a monkey in a monkey tree
You’re all gonna be an American
Sail away
Sail away
We will cross the mighty ocean into Charleston Bay
Sail away
Sail away
We will cross the mighty ocean into Charleston Bay
I Think It’s Going to Rain Today
Lyrics
Broken windows and empty hallways
A pale dead moon in the sky streaked with gray
Human kindness is overflowing
And I think it’s going to rain today
Scarecrows dressed in the latest styles
With frozen smiles to chase love away
Human kindness is overflowing
And I think it’s going to rain today
Lonely, lonely
Tin can at my feet
Think I’ll kick it down the street
That’s the way to treat a friend
Bright before me the signs implore me
Help the needy and show them the way
Human kindness is overflowing
And I think it’s going to rain today
Recent Online Performances, Interviews, and Reviews
Randy participated in “The History and Future of Hollywood Film Music,” a panel discussion on KPCC’s AirTalk program. To watch the archived video, click here.
“Rørende Randy Newman i topform,” a review of Randy’s 2012 concert in Randers. Click here to consume!
“Randy Newman — review: Festival Hall, London,” a review of Randy’s 2012 concert in London. Click here to read!
“Randy Newman & A Steinway Is All We Need,” a review of Randy’s Austin City Limits Festival performance by the Houston Press. Click here to absorb!
“Randy Newman and the Sydney Symphony,” an interview from the Sydney Opera House, is online now. Click here to view!
“Randy Newman: The Return Of A Playful Icon,” an interview from NPR’s WFUV, is online now. Click here to hear!
The Australian has an interview with Randy: “Just don’t leave Randy Newman alone with his music.” Click here to read it.
Filter focused on Randy from July 5th to July 8th with four Newman-oriented articles. To read Filter’s work, click here.
Randy appeared on WNYC’s Soundcheck on Wednesday, May 25th.
NPR’s “Dinner Party Download” hosted Randy on their Saturday, June 10th program. Randy’s segment begins at approximately 11:40 in. To hear it, click here.
Randy was on Jimmy Fallon’s program on Monday, May 16th. Randy performed “Losing You” at the end of the program and performed “Short People” as a Web Exclusive.
The A.V. Club asked Randy specific questions about a number of his songs.
The A.V. Club also featured Randy in the May 19, 2011 edition of their “Gateways to Geekery” series: Randy Newman.
Randy has an audio interview with ABC Sydney about his upcoming orchestral concerts in Australia.
A blogger for the Phoenix New Times reviewed Randy’s Memorial-Day weekend appearance at the Arizona Biltmore.
Randy chatted with the Huffington Post’s Mike Ragogna.
Randy discussed “Losing You” for the Guardian’s “How I wrote …” series. Click here to watch the video of his explanation and a performance of the song.
The UK’s Telegraph gives five stars to “The Randy Newman Songbook, Volume 2.” Click here to read the review.
Randy’s interview with the BBC’s “The Strand” is online now!
Randy’s interview with Kirsty Lang on BBC Radio 4 is online now!
Randy is on Jools Holland’s 30-minute “Later” BBC show in some regions of the globe.
Randy is also on Jools Holland’s 60-minute BBC show.
Read the Independent’s review of the Songbook Vol. 2.
Everychild Within Us and Randy
The Everychild Foundation has produced a CD — Everychild Within Us — to help fund their ongoing efforts to ease suffering of children in the greater Los Angeles area, whether due to disease, disability, abuse, neglect, or poverty. Among performers such as Kenny Loggins, Shawn Colvin, and others, Randy has contributed “Feels Like Home.”
To purchase the CD, please visit the Everychild site.
Songbook Vol. 2
Nonesuch (525943), May 10, 2011
Co-produced by Mitchell Froom and Lenny Waronker
Dixie Flyer
I was born right here, November ’43
My dad was a captain in the army
Fighting the Germans in Sicily.
My poor little momma
Didn’t know a soul in L.A.
So we went down to the Union Station and made our getaway.Got on the Dixie Flyer bound for New Orleans
Across the state of Texas to the land of dreams
On the Dixie Flyer bound for New Orleans
Back to her friends and her family in the land of dreams.
Lyrics
I was born right here, November ’43
My dad was a captain in the army
Fighting the Germans in Sicily.
My poor little momma
Didn’t know a soul in L.A.
So we went down to the Union Station and made our getaway.Got on the Dixie Flyer bound for New Orleans
Across the state of Texas to the land of dreams
On the Dixie Flyer bound for New Orleans
Back to her friends and her family in the land of dreams.
Her own mother came to meet us at the station,
Her dress as black as a crow in a coal mine
She cried when her little girl got off the train
Her brothers and her sisters drove down from Jackson, Mississippi
In a great green Hudson driven by a Gentile they knew
Drinkin’ rye whiskey from a flask in the back seat
Tryin’ to do like the Gentiles do
Christ, they wanted to be Gentiles, too
Who wouldn’t down there, wouldn’t you?
An American Christian, God damn!
On the Dixie Flyer bound for New Orleans
Across the state of Texas to the land of dreams
On the Dixie Flyer bound for New Orleans
Back to her friends and her family in the land of dreams
Back to her friends and her family in the land of dreams
Yellow Man
Lyrics
Very far away in a foreign land
Live the yellow woman and the yellow man
He’s been around for many-a-year
They say they were there before we were here
Live the yellow woman and the yellow man
He’s been around for many-a-year
They say they were there before we were here
Eatin’ rice all day
While the children play
You see he believes
In the family
Just like you and me
Oh, yellow man, oh, yellow man
We understand, you know we understand
He keeps his money tight in his hand
With his yellow woman he’s a yellow man
Got to have a yellow woman
When you’re a yellow man
Suzanne
I saw your name, baby
In a telephone booth
And it told all about you, mama
Boy, I hope it was the truth
I took down your number
Looked up your address, Sue
And I was hoping that maybe
You could love me, tooI’m gonna wait in the shadows
For you to come by
I’m gonna wait in the shadows
For you to come by
And then I’ll jump from the shadows
To try and catch your eye
Gonna run my fingers through your hair
Lyrics
I saw your name, baby
In a telephone booth
And it told all about you, mama
Boy, I hope it was the truth
I took down your number
Looked up your address, Sue
And I was hoping that maybe
You could love me, tooI’m gonna wait in the shadows
For you to come by
I’m gonna wait in the shadows
For you to come by
And then I’ll jump from the shadows
To try and catch your eye
Gonna run my fingers through your hair
Now I don’t want to get too romantic
That’s just not my way
But when I get my arms around you
I’m gonna rock you all the night
Gonna rock you all the day
Suzanne, you won’t know it but I’ll be behind you
Don’t try and run away from me, little girl
Wherever you go I’ll find you
And when you go to the pictures
And I know you do
Don’t take no one with you
’Cause I’ll be there, too
Suzanne
The Girls in My Life (Part 1)
Was a little girl
Maybe five-foot-two
Had the cutest little feet
Made my heart go tweet-tweet
Quite a pleasant dispositionThen came a pretty young French girl, mmm
Whom I met in Las Vegas
When I was there with my parents
Oh my
Had a real nice conversation
Lyrics
Was a little girl
Maybe five-foot-two
Had the cutest little feet
Made my heart go tweet-tweet
Quite a pleasant dispositionThen came a pretty young French girl, mmm
Whom I met in Las Vegas
When I was there with my parents
Oh my
Had a real nice conversation
Met a girl at the bakery
She wanted to borrow my car from me
I said, “Take it, baby”
She took it down To Mexico
Ran over a man named Juan
Then I went to college
Met a college girl
She lived in the sorority house
Across from school
Got a real fine education
Had seven women on my mind
Now I’m married
Have a very lovely wife
Three cute little boys
It’s so nice
And that’s just half the story
Of the girls in my life
Kingfish
There’s a hundred-thousand Frenchmen in New Orleans
In New Orleans there are Frenchmen everywhere
But your house could fall down
Your baby could drown
Wouldn’t none of those Frenchmen careEverybody gather ’round
Loosen up your suspenders
Hunker down on the ground
I’m a cracker
And you’re one too
But don’t I take good care of you
Lyrics
There’s a hundred-thousand Frenchmen in New Orleans
In New Orleans there are Frenchmen everywhere
But your house could fall down
Your baby could drown
Wouldn’t none of those Frenchmen careEverybody gather ’round
Loosen up your suspenders
Hunker down on the ground
I’m a cracker
And you’re one too
But don’t I take good care of you
Who built the highway to Baton Rouge?
Who put up the hospital and built your schools?
Who looks after shit-kickers like you?
The Kingfish do
Who gave a party at the Roosevelt Hotel?
And invited the whole north half of the state down there for free
The people in the city
Had their eyes bugging out
‘Cause everyone looked just like me
It’s the Kingfish, the Kingfish
Everybody sing
It’s the Kingfish, the Kingfish
Every man a king
Who took on the Standard Oilmen
And whipped their ass
Just like he promised he’d do?
Ain’t no Standard Oilmen gonna run this state
Gonna be run by little folks like me and you
It’s the Kingfish, the Kingfish
Friend of the working man
It’s the Kingfish, the Kingfish
The Kingfish gonna save this land
Losing You
Was a fool with my money
And I lost every dime
And the sun stopped shining
And it rained all the time
It did set me back some
But I made it through
But I’ll never get over losing youDo you know how much you mean to me?
Should’ve told you ’cause it’s true
I’d get over losing anything
But I’ll never get over losing you
Lyrics
Was a fool with my money
And I lost every dime
And the sun stopped shining
And it rained all the time
It did set me back some
But I made it through
But I’ll never get over losing youDo you know how much you mean to me?
Should’ve told you ’cause it’s true
I’d get over losing anything
But I’ll never get over losing you
When you’re young
And there’s time
You forget the past
You don’t think that you will
But you do
But I know right now I don’t have time enough
And I’ll never get over losing you
I’ve been cold
I’ve been hungry
But not for awhile
I guess most of my dreams have come true
With it all here around me
No peace do I find
’Cause I’ll never get over losing you
No, I’ll never get over losing you
Sandman’s Coming
Close your eyes now little girl
They don’t want to hear you cryin’
You never had a chance
You never had a chanceIt’s a great big dirty world
If they say it ain’t they’re lyin’
Sandman’s comin’ soon
You know he’s comin’ soon
Lyrics
Close your eyes now little girl
They don’t want to hear you cryin’
You never had a chance
You never had a chanceIt’s a great big dirty world
If they say it ain’t they’re lyin’
Sandman’s comin’ soon
You know he’s comin’ soon
Close your eyes and dream
A little dream for you and me
Dream yourself a place where we can go
Baby you never know
Close your eyes now little girl
Go to sleep my little baby
Sandman’s comin’ soon
You know he’s comin’ soon
Sandman’s comin’ soon
You know he’s comin’ soon
My Life Is Good
A couple of weeks ago
My wife and I
Took a little trip down to Mexico
Met this young girl there
We brought her back with us
Now she lives with us
In our home
She cleans the hallway
She cleans the stair
She cleans the living room
She wipes the baby’s ass
She drives the kids to school
She does the laundry too
She wrote this song for me
Listen
YeahThe other afternoon
My wife and I
Took a little ride into
Beverly Hills
Went to the private school
Our oldest child attends
Many famous people send their children there
This teacher says to us
“We have a problem here
This child just will not do
A thing I tell him to
And he’s such a big old thing
He hurts the other children
All the games they play,
he plays too rough –”
Hold it teacher
Wait a minute
Maybe my ears are clogged or something
Maybe I’m not understanding
The English language
Dear, you don’t seem to realize
Lyrics
A couple of weeks ago
My wife and I
Took a little trip down to Mexico
Met this young girl there
We brought her back with us
Now she lives with us
In our home
She cleans the hallway
She cleans the stair
She cleans the living room
She wipes the baby’s ass
She drives the kids to school
She does the laundry too
She wrote this song for me
Listen
YeahThe other afternoon
My wife and I
Took a little ride into
Beverly Hills
Went to the private school
Our oldest child attends
Many famous people send their children there
This teacher says to us
“We have a problem here
This child just will not do
A thing I tell him to
And he’s such a big old thing
He hurts the other children
All the games they play,
he plays too rough –”
Hold it teacher
Wait a minute
Maybe my ears are clogged or something
Maybe I’m not understanding
The English language
Dear, you don’t seem to realize
My life is good
My life is good, you old bat
My life is good
My life
Just this evening
Some young associates of ours
Are flying in to see us from
New York City
They’re gonna stay with us
Oh, a couple of weeks or so
I’m gonna take ’em to
Restaurants and everything
Gonna get ’em some
Real good cocaine
They don’t get much
Where they come from
And this one guy’s wife Is such a pretty little brown thing
That I’m liable to give her a poke or two
Whaddaya think of that?
Teacher, let me tell you a little story
Just this morning
My wife and I
Went to this big hotel in the hills
Where a very good friend of ours
Happens to be staying
And the name of this young man
Is Mr. Bruce Springsteen
Yeah, we talked about some kind of
Woodblock or something
And this new guitar we like
And you know what he said to me
I’ll tell you what he said to me
He said, “Rand, I’m tired
How would you like to be the Boss for awhile?”
Well, yeah
My life is good
My life is good
Birmingham
Got a wife, got a family
Earn my livin’ with my hand
I’m a roller in a steel mill
In downtown BirminghamMy daddy was a barber
And a most unsightly man
He was born in Tuscaloosa
But he died right here in Birmingham
Lyrics
Got a wife, got a family
Earn my livin’ with my hand
I’m a roller in a steel mill
In downtown BirminghamMy daddy was a barber
And a most unsightly man
He was born in Tuscaloosa
But he died right here in Birmingham
Birmingham, Birmingham
The greatest city in Alabam’
You can travel ’cross this entire land
But there ain’t no place like Birmingham
My wife’s named Mary
But she’s called Marie
We live in a three-room house
With a pepper tree
I work all day in the factory
That’s all right with me
Got a big black dog
Whose name is Dan
Lives in my backyard in Birmingham
He is the meanest dog in Alabam’
Get ’em Dan
Birmingham, Birmingham
The greatest city in Alabam’
You can travel ’cross this entire land
But there ain’t no place like Birmingham
Last Night I Had a Dream
Last night I had a dream
You were in it, and I was in it with you
Everyone that I know
And everyone that you know was in my dream
I saw a vampire
I saw a ghost
Everybody scared me but you scared me the most
In the dream I had last night
In the dream I had last night
In my dreamIt started out in a barnyard at sundown
And everyone was laughing and you were lying on the ground
You said, “Honey, can you tell me what your name is?”
“Honey, can you tell me what your name is?”
I said, “You know what my name is”
Lyrics
Last night I had a dream
You were in it, and I was in it with you
Everyone that I know
And everyone that you know was in my dream
I saw a vampire
I saw a ghost
Everybody scared me but you scared me the most
In the dream I had last night
In the dream I had last night
In my dreamIt started out in a barnyard at sundown
And everyone was laughing and you were lying on the ground
You said, “Honey, can you tell me what your name is?”
“Honey, can you tell me what your name is?”
I said, “You know what my name is”
Last night I had a dream
You were in it, and I was in it with you
Everyone that I know
And everyone that you know was in my dream
I saw a vampire
I saw a ghost
Everybody scared me but you scared me the most
In the dream I had last night
In the dream I had last night
In my dream
Same Girl
You’re still the same girl you always were
You’re still the same girlA few more nights on the street, that’s all
A few more holes in your arm
A few more years with me, that’s all
Lyrics
You’re still the same girl you always were
You’re still the same girlA few more nights on the street, that’s all
A few more holes in your arm
A few more years with me, that’s all
You’re still the same girl
With the same sweet smile that you always had
And the same blue eyes like the sun
And the same clear voice
You’re still the same girl
That I love
Baltimore
Beat-up little seagull
On a marble stair
Tryin’ to find the ocean
Lookin’ everywhereHard times in the city
In a hard town by the sea
Ain’t nowhere to run to
There ain’t nothin’ here for free
Lyrics
Beat-up little seagull
On a marble stair
Tryin’ to find the ocean
Lookin’ everywhereHard times in the city
In a hard town by the sea
Ain’t nowhere to run to
There ain’t nothin’ here for free
Hooker on the corner
Waitin’ for a train
Drunk lyin’ on the sidewalk
Sleepin’ in the rain
And they hide their faces
And they hide their eyes
’Cause the city’s dyin’
And they don’t know why
Oh, Baltimore
Man, it’s hard just to live
Oh, Baltimore
Man, it’s hard just to live, just to live
Get my sister Sandy
And my little brother Ray
Gonna buy a big old wagon
To haul us all away
Live out in the country
Where the mountain’s high
Never comin’ back here
’Til the day I die
Oh, Baltimore
Man, it’s hard just to live
Oh, Baltimore
Man, it’s hard just to live, just to live
Laugh and Be Happy
I know what’s going on here
Ain’t no great mystery
Y’all have lost faith in yourselves
It’s as clear as it can beYou can whine all you want to
Drown in your misery
Or you can listen to me
Listen to me
Lyrics
I know what’s going on here
Ain’t no great mystery
Y’all have lost faith in yourselves
It’s as clear as it can beYou can whine all you want to
Drown in your misery
Or you can listen to me
Listen to me
Laugh and be happy
Don’t you ever wear a frown
Don’t let the bastards grind you down
Laugh and be happy
It’s a simple thing to do
Believe in your dreams
And your dreams will come true for you
There’ll be a red sun shining in a sky so blue
Blackbirds singing in the trees
There’ll be a real silver lining
Up there for me and you
Listen to me
Listen to me
Now the country that we’re living in
You mean the good ol’ USA?
That’s right!
It’s never been about keeping you out
It’s about inviting you in and letting you play
So laugh and be happy
Smile right in their face
’Cause pretty soon
You’re gonna take their place
You’ll come a-whack whack whackin’ like old man trouble
Whacking on their front door
They want to send you packin’ on the double
But you ain’t going away no more
Laugh and be happy
Don’t you ever wear a frown
Get right back on your feet
Whenever they knock you down
You’ve got to laugh and be happy
Believe me when I say
Everything’s going to go your way
You’ll be on top of the world
Lucinda
We met one summer evening
As the sun was going down
She was lying on the beach
In her graduation gown
She was wrapped up in a blanket
(I could tell she knew her way around)
And as I lay down beside her
You know she never made a soundOn down the beach came the beach-cleaning man
Scoopin’ up the papers and flattening down the sand
“Lucinda, Lucinda, Lucinda — we’ve got to run away
That big white truck is closin’ in
And we’ll get wounded if we stay”
Lyrics
We met one summer evening
As the sun was going down
She was lying on the beach
In her graduation gown
She was wrapped up in a blanket
(I could tell she knew her way around)
And as I lay down beside her
You know she never made a soundOn down the beach came the beach-cleaning man
Scoopin’ up the papers and flattening down the sand
“Lucinda, Lucinda, Lucinda — we’ve got to run away
That big white truck is closin’ in
And we’ll get wounded if we stay”
Now Lucinda lies buried ’neath the California sand
Put under by the beach-cleaning man
Lucinda, Lucinda, Lucinda — why’d you have to go?
They sent her to high school
They sent her to low school
She just wouldn’t go no further
Dayton, Ohio – 1903
Sing a song of long ago
When things were green and movin’ slow
And people’d stop to say hello
Or they’d say “hi” to you
“Would you like to come over for tea
With the missus and me?”
It’s a real nice way
To spend the day
In Dayton, Ohio
On a lazy Sunday afternoon in 1903Sing a song of long ago
When trees could grow
And days flowed quietly
The air was clean and you could see
And folks were nice to you
“Would you like to come over for tea
With the missus and me?”
It’s a real nice way
To spend the day
In Dayton, Ohio
On a lazy Sunday afternoon in 1903
Lyrics
Sing a song of long ago
When things were green and movin’ slow
And people’d stop to say hello
Or they’d say “hi” to you
“Would you like to come over for tea
With the missus and me?”
It’s a real nice way
To spend the day
In Dayton, Ohio
On a lazy Sunday afternoon in 1903Sing a song of long ago
When trees could grow
And days flowed quietly
The air was clean and you could see
And folks were nice to you
“Would you like to come over for tea
With the missus and me?”
It’s a real nice way
To spend the day
In Dayton, Ohio
On a lazy Sunday afternoon in 1903
Cowboy
Cold gray buildings where a hill should be
Steel and concrete closin’ in on me
City faces haunt the places
I rode alone
Cowboy, cowboy — can’t run, can’t hide
Too late to fight now — too tired to tryWind that once blew free
Now scatters dust to the sky
Cowboy, cowboy — can’t run, can’t hide
Too late to fight now — too tired to try
Lyrics
Cold gray buildings where a hill should be
Steel and concrete closin’ in on me
City faces haunt the places
I rode alone
Cowboy, cowboy — can’t run, can’t hide
Too late to fight now — too tired to tryWind that once blew free
Now scatters dust to the sky
Cowboy, cowboy — can’t run, can’t hide
Too late to fight now — too tired to try
Randy “On Canvas,” WHYY-style
Online!
“On Canvas”
WHYY, Your Television
Randy is the subject of WHYY’s “On Canvas” series. Legendary!
Click here to watch the recording.
“We Belong Together” Wins an Oscar
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences tweeted “Congratulations Randy Newman, Winner of Best Original Song for ‘We Belong Together’ – This is his second Oscars Win.”
—
“I’m very grateful for this and surprised. My percentages aren’t great. I’ve been nominated 20 times and this is the 2nd time I won. At the Academy, at the lunch they have for the nominees, where they have like a Randy Newman chicken by this time, the, Mr. Mischer said that it’s not really good television to take a list out of your pocket and thank a lot of people. It’s not my style anyway, but it is in this case. I mean to have worked for Pixar doing the six pictures I’ve done, this one Lee Unkrich and worked with Mitchell Froom, Chris Montan at Disney. I just have to thank these people. I don’t want to, I want to be good television so badly, as you can see. I’ve been on this show any number of times and I’ve slowed it down almost every time. No wonder they only nominate 4 songs, what about cinematography. So there’s 5. They could find a fifth song from someone. But hell with it. Think it might have beat me. Anyway, I thank you all very much for this. The Academy has been enormously kind to me as has the Music Branch and I love you all. Thank you very much.”
—
Click here to watch Randy’s acceptance speech.
